Radiation-Induced Renal Artery Stenosis

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Oncology
• Nephrology

Background:

• A 33-year-old male presented with severe, treatment-resistant hypertension and renal dysfunction.
• Medical history revealed prior radiotherapy for intra-abdominal Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 14 years earlier.

Observation:

• Investigations identified calcific atherosclerosis affecting the abdominal aorta and bilateral renal arteries.
• The patient required four antihypertensive medications due to uncontrolled blood pressure.

Findings:

• Transluminal angioplasty performed on the right renal artery led to significant improvement.
• Post-procedure, the patient experienced improved renal function and normalized blood pressure.

Implications:

• Radiotherapy for intra-abdominal malignancies can induce long-term arterial atherosclerosis within the irradiated field.
• This case highlights a delayed complication of radiation therapy, emphasizing the need for long-term cardiovascular monitoring in survivors.